1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compressor, and more particularly to a compressor equipped with a rotation inhibitor capable of inhibiting oil in an oil cup to rotate due to rotational friction in a lubricant supply mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, known compressors for use in compression of gases may be of the reciprocation type, the rotary type and the scroll type. These compressors comprise an electric element including an electric motor, and a compressive element driven by the electric element. They are operative to compress a gas such as a refrigerant gas led into the compressive element and discharge the compressed gas, which is fed to an air conditioner, a refrigerator, or a freezer/refrigerator in a freezing cycle.
The compressors of such the types generally include an oil storage to store lubricant oil provided in the bottom of a container that configures a compressor body. An oil pump is attached to an end of a driveshaft axially installed on the rotor of the electric element. This oil pump is operative to suck up the oil from the oil storage and supply the oil to a sliding portion of the compressive element and a bearing portion of the driveshaft for lubrication through an oil passage provided in the driveshaft along the axial line. The oil once used in lubrication is fed back to the oil storage and reused repeatedly in this structure.
As the oil pump is attached to the end of the driveshaft, rotations of the driveshaft cause rotations of the oil pump. A centrifugal force associated with the rotation sucks up the oil from the oil storage and elevates the oil along the inner wall of the oil passage provided in the driveshaft. As a result, the oil is supplied to the sliding portion of the compressive element and the bearing portion of the driveshaft. When the amount of oil in the oil storage reduces and rotational friction associated with the rotation of the oil pump rotates the oil, the oil surface in the oil storage may recede almost parabolic in cross-section, or may wave. When it falls into such the state, the oil surface in vicinity of a suction port of the oil storage lowers or becomes unstable. This reduces the amount of the oil sucked or makes it impossible to suck up the oil, resulting in a reduction in lubricating function as a problem because of the reduction in the amount of the oil supplied to the sliding portion and the bearing portion.
As a means for solving such the problem, Patent Document 1 (JP-A 6-26469) discloses a scroll compressor equipped with an oil plate to inhibit disturbance of the oil surface in the oil storage. In this case, when the upper surface of the oil plate is located slightly lower than the oil surface, the effect of inhibiting the disturbance of the oil surface can be achieved. In contrast, when the oil surface lowers below the lower surface of the oil plate, it waves because the effect of inhibiting the disturbance of the oil surface can not be achieved sufficiently. When the oil surface lowers further, it recedes almost parabolic in cross-section in response to the rotation of the oil pump and makes it difficult or impossible to suck up the oil from the oil pump.
Patent Document 2 (JP-A9-32760) discloses a scroll compressor equipped with an agitation inhibitor as surrounding the oil pump. The agitation inhibitor restraints the range of rotational friction associated with the oil pump acting in the oil storage. Also in this case, when the oil surface lowers and locates near the lower surface of the oil pump, it recedes almost parabolic in cross-section in response to the rotation of the oil pump and makes it difficult or impossible to suck up the oil from the oil pump. Patent Document 3 (JP-A 5-65884) discloses a scroll compressor equipped with an agitation inhibitor having a cylindrical portion formed as covering the lower portion of the rotor and surrounding the oil pump. Also in this case, when the oil surface lowers near the lower surface of the oil pump, it recedes almost parabolic in cross-section in response to the rotation of the oil pump and makes it difficult or impossible to suck the oil from the oil pump.